Un3480 Special Provisions Number
Rachelle Shriver
The following UN numbers and shipping descriptions are to be utilized when shipping lithium batteries or cells. I have added the special provisions associated with each and will give a brief description of each.
34: Exempts you from most of the regulations and is meant for low-power consumer-type batteries that you will find in most cell phones and laptops. All must pass each test set out in subsection 38.3 of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria. This exempts you from UN performance packaging, and as long as:
Lithium Batteries Labels
Lithium Battery Shipping Kits
Canadian TDG PublicationsTags:lithium batteriesDG HazMat LabelsUN packaginghazardous materialsshippingdangerous goodssafetyRegulationsplacardsDOT49 CFRTDGhazmat Elton Woodfine Elton Woodfine CD (Canadian Decoration) served 22 years as a member of the Canadian Forces. Initially as an Infantry section Commander in the Princess Patricia Canadian Lite Infantry (PPCLI), he served on two peace keeping missions in the former Yugoslavia, and one combat tour in Afghanistan where his unit was awarded the Governor General Unit Citation for actions in combat. He then continued to serve as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force as a firefighter, where he completed a diploma in Fire Science/ Fire-fighting from Memorial University and Occupational Health and Safety diploma from the University of New Brunswick. Lastly, in his career with the Canadian Forces, he served as a member of the Joint Incident Response Unit (CJIRU) as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Operator (CBRN Op), part of the Canadian Special Operation Command (CANSOFCOM). Upon his retirement from the Canadian Forces, he took a position as a Life Cycle Management of hazardous materials instructor for the logistical branch of the Department of National Defense and is knowledgeable in NFCC, CEPA 1999, IMHWR, TDGR, ICAO, IATA, IMDG, GHS and OH&S federal regulations.
Below is a summary of the Special Provisions from the Australian Code for the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (ADGC), for Lithium Batteries. Also included is clause 2.9.4 from the ADGC for convenience. It includes the following types of Lithium Batteries,
(b) For a lithium metal or lithium alloy battery the aggregate lithium content is not more than 2 g, and for a lithium ion battery, the Watt-hour rating is not more than 100 Wh. Lithium ion batteries subject to this provision must be marked with the Watt-hour rating on the outside case, except those manufactured before 1 January 2009;
310 The testing requirements in Chapter 38.3 of the Manual of Tests and Criteria do not apply to production runs consisting of not more than 100 cells and batteries, or to pre-production prototypes of lithium cells and batteries when these prototypes are transported for testing, if:
(a) the cells and batteries are transported in an outer packaging that is a metal, plastics or plywood drum or a metal, plastics or wooden box and that meets the criteria for packing group I packagings; and
360 (UN3481 & 3091) Vehicles only powered by lithium metal batteries or lithium ion batteries must be assigned to the entry UN 3171 BATTERY POWERED VEHICLE. Lithium batteries installed in cargo transport units, designed only to provide power external to the transport unit shall be assigned to entry UN 3536 LITHIUM BATTERIES INSTALLED IN CARGO TRANSPORT UNIT.
376 Lithium ion cells or batteries and lithium metal cells or batteries identified as being damaged or defective such that they do not conform to the type tested according to the applicable provisions of the Manual of Tests and Criteria must comply with the requirements of this special provision.
377 Lithium ion and lithium metal cells and batteries and equipment containing such cells and batteries transported for disposal for recycling, either packed together with or packed without non-lithium batteries, may be packaged in accordance with packing instruction
387 Lithium batteries in conformity with 2.9.4 (f) containing both primary lithium metal cells and rechargeable lithium ion cells shall be assigned to UN Nos. 3090 or 3091 as appropriate. When such batteries are transported in accordance with special provision 188, the total lithium content of all lithium metal cells contained in the battery shall not exceed 1.5 g and the total capacity of all lithium ion cells contained in the battery shall not exceed 10 Wh.
Cells and batteries, cells and batteries contained in equipment, or cells and batteries packed with equipment, containing lithium in any form must be assigned to UN Nos. 3090, 3091, 3480 or 3481 as appropriate. They may be transported under these entries if they meet the following provisions:
(a) Each cell or battery is of the type proved to meet the requirements of each test of the Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part III, subsection 38.3; Cells and batteries manufactured according to a type meeting the requirements of sub-section 38.3 of the Manual of Tests and Criteria, Revision 3, Amendment 1 or any subsequent revision and amendment applicable at the date of the type testing may continue to be transported, unless otherwise provided in this Code. Cell and battery types only meeting the requirements of the Manual of Tests and Criteria, Revision 3, are no longer valid. However, cells and batteries manufactured in conformity with such types before 1 July 2003 may continue to be transported if all other
NOTE: Batteries are to be of a type proved to meet the testing requirements of the Manual of Tests and Criteria, part III, sub-section 38.3, irrespective of whether the cells of which they are composed are of a
NOTE: In house quality management programmes may be accepted. Third party certification is not required, but the procedures listed in (i) to (ix) above must be properly recorded and traceable. A copy of the quality management programme must be made available to the competent authority upon request.
1.3 Are button cells dangerous goods?
Not all electrochemistries can be produced in the form of button cells, most of them are not classified as dangerous goods, with the exception of lithium metal UN 3090 and lithium ion UN 3480 button cells. Lithium button cells are dangerous goods, but given their low lithium content or their low rated capacity, they have some exemptions, particularly when installed in equipment and / or electronic boards.
The applicable transport conditions are clearly described in the e-books.
1.4 How to transport used batteries?
Specific special provisions and packing instructions have to be followed:
- For lithium batteries, special provision 377 and packing instruction P909,
- For lead-acid and NiCd batteries, the packing instruction P801,
- For sodium batteries, the same conditions apply as for new and waste batteries.
- The applicable transport conditions are clearly described in the e-books.
Q. Why are there different summary sheets for WASTE LITHIUM ION CELLS/BATTERIES and CELLS AND BATTERIES FOR DISPOSAL or RECYCLING ?
A. The differentiation is necessary as in the e-books we have identified waste batteries according to their known characteristics:
- if they are still conform and are identified of a type which has passed all tests of UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, session 38.3, they can be transported like new batteries, according to P903
- if they are not identified as compliant to a tested type, then they cannot be demonstrated as compliant to section 2.9.4 of the UN model regulation. In this case, they may be transported according to the Special provision 377 and P909
1.5 Can defective and damaged (D&D) batteries be transported?
Defective or damaged batteries, of any type, may cause safety problems during transport. The necessary measures must be taken to avoid any releases of liquids, short circuits, breakages, or overheating.
In addition, specific special provisions and packing instructions must be used for lithium batteries. The diagnosis of these batteries must be performed by competent personnel or by the manufacturer, who will also establish whether the D&D batteries are critical for transport (such as the liability to initiate a thermal runaway).
For non-critical D&D, the requirements of special provision 376 and packing instructions P908 and LP904 must be applied.
For critical D&D batteries, liable to rapidly disassemble, dangerously react, produce a flame or a dangerous evolution of heat or a dangerous emission of toxic, corrosive or flammable gases or vapors under normal conditions of carriage shall be packed and carried in accordance with packing instruction P911 or LP906
The applicable transport conditions are clearly described in the e-books.
1.6 Can prototype batteries be transported?
With the exception of lithium batteries, prototype batteries follow the same transport rules as production batteries.
Prototypes of lithium batteries must in practice follow the indications of special provision 310 and the packing instructions P910 and LP905; each cell or battery shall be individually packed in an inner packaging and placed inside an outer packaging.
Each inner packaging shall be completely surrounded by sufficient non-combustible and electrically non- conductive thermal insulation material to protect against a dangerous evolution of heat.
Outer packagings shall conform to the packing group II performance level.
The applicable transport conditions are clearly described in the e-books.
This article focuses solely on shipping LiBs that are packed by themselves, therefore defined as UN3480. If we check out UN3480 in the register of dangerous goods in the DGR 58, we find that for this category, 8 special provisions and 1 packing instruction apply;
c80f0f1006